Schiit Yggdrasil Less is More (and MIL and OG) Impressions + Measurements

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by purr1n, Sep 9, 2021.

?

Should SBAF get a loaner Yggdrasil Less Is More?

  1. Yes, please!

    75.4%
  2. Only if there isn't anything else more interesting

    11.5%
  3. No, I would prefer for a loaner an overpriced planar that looks like it's from House Harkonnen

    6.2%
  4. Save up for something better

    6.9%
  1. MellowVelo

    MellowVelo Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2016
    Likes Received:
    913
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Chicago
    What headphones are you using in your setup?
     
  2. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    889
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Ann Arbor Mi
    Sorry, using focal ELEX ( with the clear pads)waiting for my focal utopias to arrive. I do not have a 2 channel set up at present.
     
  3. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2016
    Likes Received:
    6,226
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Yup, this is pretty much what I'd done for a while. Fedex also usually drops those Walgreens packages off early, so you are likely to get it faster than waiting for the driver to hit your neighborhood if you're used to later deliveries.
     
  4. kukur9

    kukur9 Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Likes Received:
    84
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    If you can ship to a Walgreens, that is probably the way to go. I can't imagine that logistically that is "bad" for the driver's route, whereas my home...as others have noted, they don't even ring the doorbell...bast#@%$...

    "Someday, my LiM will come..." - Famous death metal song
     
  5. mhanism1

    mhanism1 New

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2021
    Likes Received:
    26
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Irvine, California
    Hello community! My first time posting here! I’ve followed the SBAF forums over the years and found all of your contributions and thoughts to be very helpful, with a very mature and audio focused tone. I’m a 2 ch stereo guy and after dabbling with Schiit products way back in 2014 recently started getting into head-fi and have come to appreciate Schiit products as of late.

    After going through each post here, I just placed an order for a black, Yggdrasil LIM. The back order times kept slipping and the 10-12 week window I got hopefully gets me one by the holidays. Went through a Modius earlier this summer, upgraded to a Bifrost 2 which has been a revelation and a big improvement from my Bifrost 1 back in 2014. And after reading about the Yggdrasil, I’ve placed my Altair G1 for sale and decided to for a more dedicated DAC only and find a separate, cost effective streamer.

    Now for the long wait….
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2021
  6. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2018
    Likes Received:
    5,465
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Home Page:
    [​IMG]
    Schiit Yggdrasil LiM Loaner Impressions:

    First of all, thank you Schiit and SBAF for organizing this tour. Always grateful for the opportunity that the community offers for its members!

    2 channel setup:
    Pi2AES > Rockna Wavelight > Tandberg 3006A > Fostex BK16
    Pi2AES > Schiit Yggdrasil LiM > Wavelight analog Pre > Tandberg 3006A > Fostex BK16
    Headphone rig:
    Pi2AES > Rockna Wavelight > EC Super 7 modded > ETA Genesis, Supra proto
    Pi2AES > Schiit Yggdrasil LiM > EC Super 7 modded > ETA Gen, Supra


    - I really dig the bifrost 2-like meaty, organic tone of the LiM and a tasteful bass boost. Somewhat reminiscent of OG gen's downslope FR tilt
    - clarity feels a bit hazy especially when I A/B between the Wavelight
    - Macrodynamics in the bass feels competent, but top-end regions feels a bit soft and too smoothed out. I want cymbals to hit with a lot of snap and liveliness and I feel that LiM might have overshot in terms of smoothening the sound
    - microdynamics is decent but I'm not sure if it's worth the 2k+ price tag. I think I prefer the A1 or GS in overall dynamics.
    - I think wavelight clearly outresolves LiM in both macrodetail and plankton, but not really a fair comparison since the price difference
    - Between speakers and headphones, I think I prefer LiM in headphones over 2 ch., not sure why. Maybe the organic tone is more seductive in headphones, idk haha
    - I think both Wavelight and LiM have their sins in timbre where WL can sound a bit hyper-realistic and emphasizes a bit in the uppermids while the LiM goes the other direction where instruments like piano sound a bit muted and muffled to me? I think I prefer WL's slightly overzealous take on it over the LiM, but if you're a fan of the organic tone of A2 and Bifrost 2, maybe this might be more up your alley. Which is more true/ more false, who tf knows? who cares really, just get the stuff that sounds good to your ears not blindly follow the hive mind or sound prophets.

    Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the weekend! Thanks again!
     
    • Like Like x 30
    • Epic Epic x 4
    • List
  7. schneller

    schneller Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2016
    Likes Received:
    52
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Washington, DC USA
    "A bit soft and too smoothed out. I want cymbals to hit with a lot of snap and liveliness."

    You're not the first to say that. So which Schiit DAC does offer snap and liveliness?
     
  8. JeremiahS

    JeremiahS Almost "Made"

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    286
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Jakarta, Singapore
    Thank you for the impressions @tommytakis. I am trying to see where you're coming from since I have the Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 for multibit DAC for now and I have heard the Yggdrasil GS before, I think you used to have the SFD-2 so how does the Yggdrasil LiM compared to the SF DAC?

    I dislike the Bifrost 2 so my fear is if the LiM sounds "hazy" like it.
     
  9. mhanism1

    mhanism1 New

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2021
    Likes Received:
    26
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Irvine, California
    As I have a 10-12 week backorder, I'm wondering how the various versions would sound w/ a Freya in front of the chain. I'm replacing a SABRE based DAC which sounded much too forward and on the edgy side via headphones but sounded pretty great via loudspeakers through the Freya tube stage. The tube gain softened up the high's and warmed up the mid's just enough to balance out dynamics of the DAC.

    I have a Marantz 30n (a very musical, neutral, warmer DAC) in my other system and when I experimented running w/ the Freya, the sound became too muddled, overly soft and wasn't as detailed for my liking.

    I'm curious how the LIM presentation - which is supposed to be more analog + musical sounding will interact w/ the Freya tube stage. One consideration would be to go w/ the OG (more detailed highs) + Freya (warmer tube stage), which may provide a better overall synergy. Would appreciate any feedback!
     
  10. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,239
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    So I wound up buying a LiM like an idiot.

    So far my impressions aren't as positive as they were of the loaner LIM. I''m missing the resolution of the A2, the LIM sounds like it lacks detail and Microdynamics and just smooths over too much of the little stuff. I do like the tone, but Im also not hearing the difference in background like I did with the loaner. It just sounds like less information. I hear this a little bit, the grayness of the A2 background in comparison. But it seems much more subtle.

    I still get the feeling of the LIM pulling at my emotions more than the A2. But when I'm listening to the LIM I feel like I'm missing things.

    Maybe it needs more burn in I don't know. Or maybe I need a Wavedream. ;)
     
  11. batriq

    batriq Probably has made you smarter

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,041
    Trophy Points:
    93
    @rhythmdevils How long did you wait before listening? I also did the same and that first hour sounded like crap.
     
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,239
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    I waited 2 days before even listening. It’s been a week now. And I keep music playing through it via AirPlay whenever I’m not listening to music through it. So it should be stable by now.
     
  13. gefski

    gefski Facebook Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2017
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    33
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest USA
    Both my YggyA and YggyB sounded like a good, clean (but flat and lifeless) sub $500 dac for at least 3 weeks as I recall. Then a “switch flipped” and I had touch, texture, real timbre of instruments, living musicians playing in a (perceived) space. Sounds crazy to describe now, but that’s how long it took for me.
     
  14. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2020
    Likes Received:
    12,239
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Home Page:
    I didn’t have the loaner that long. I’m comparing to my impressions of the loaner LIM. I’m just not feeling this one I bought the same way. Not sure what I’ll do I still have a week within their 15 day return window. Maybe I’ll change my mind. Maybe the seas will part and I will hear God.
     
  15. Cappy

    Cappy New

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    I received my LiM boards a week after they were released, and replaced the Analog 2/OG boards with them right away. So I've been listening to LiM for 2 weeks+ now. I've got it sounding really good, but I must say that a direct swap into my OG optimized system sounded rather soporific.

    I'll post more extensive impressions shortly, but the bottom line is that the OG version is the Norm MacDonald of high end dacs, while the LiM version is the Jay Leno of high end dacs.
     
  16. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,839
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    Home Page:
    This is funny...does not tell me much...but funny. So LiM is more high class?

    I would think the Jay Leno DAC would be the MiL version anyway.
     
  17. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,607
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NJ
    I think less is never really more. Sure it can be a more refined, but you cant really make up for lost resolution/potential wheras the other way around, though it maybe more imperfect, you can try to tweak it. Hence waiting for the next upgrade in like 3 years when it isnt a variation in flavor is my stance. This is why i left the og clears for the hd800. A2 already sounds astounding.
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,778
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    If we really want to ding up, we need to ding up and not play in the $2k arena. There are better DACs out there which are not sidegrades. Even Schiit has pointed out that this is about as good as they can get unless we really want to pony up.
     
  19. Cappy

    Cappy New

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Norm MacDonald: mercurially quick, sometimes misbehaves (treble, midbass), uneven comic routines (frequency response), sometimes brilliant, never boring, very fun.

    Jay Leno: relaxed, slower (perceived rolled off treble, weaker leading edge), consistent comic routines (even frequency response), sonorous voice (realistic tone), sometimes surprising, very fun.
     
    • Like Like x 8
    • Epic Epic x 1
    • List
  20. Josh83

    Josh83 Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,375
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Charlottesville
    If you ever have the time, I'd love to know how your "DAC Chart of Awesomeness" would look today.
     

Share This Page